Lingual braces are a great alternative to traditional braces. They allow the wearer to achieve straighter teeth without worrying about anyone seeing their braces. Lingual braces are fixed to the back of the teeth with brackets and wires and work in a similar way to traditional fixed braces. As the braces are fixed to the back of the teeth, this means there will be less space for your tongue. As a result, some wearers report speech problems as a result of their lingual braces.
What kind of speech problems will I have?
Every person is different, but as the braces are on the back of the teeth, this can impact your ability to say the letter “s”. This can result in a temporary lisp. Other people might experience whistling sounds as they adjust to the lingual braces.
How long will the lingual braces speech problems last?
It’s important to remember that your speech problems will be temporary. As your tongue adjusts to the space inside your mouth, you will soon be able to speak as you normally would. It might take a few days or even a few weeks, but you can expect your speech to return to normal fairly quickly.
How can I improve my speech with lingual braces?
It’s easy to feel self-conscious when you first get your braces. When people discover they have a slight lisp, they will often stop speaking out of embarrassment. It’s really important that you practice speaking, even if you feel silly. Your mouth needs to get used to making the sounds with the new braces in place, so it’s important that you practice often. You can try reciting the following passage a few times a day. This is known as the Rainbow Passage and includes most of the sounds found in the English language. When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act as a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colours. These take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
What about other discomforts?
You may suffer some discomfort as your tongue adjusts to the brackets and wires. Your dentist will provide a special kind of wax that you can put over any uncomfortable wires or brackets if they are causing you too much discomfort. This will help to prevent any irritation on your tongue, lips or cheeks.
